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Anonymous

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I was thinking about converting a current freshwater tank to an african cichlid tank. However I started thinking about the filtration and I realized, I have no idea if the bacteria would survive the pH jump once I replaced the gravel with rushed coral or dolomite.

Anyone know? Will I have to cycle the tank all over again if the pH jumps?
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
No, you'll be fine. :)
I've kept those guys for years and years, and was one of the first people in the country to breed demaisoni!

If you have any questions, drop me a PM.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
coral and dolomite will not keep your pH at 8.2-once the initial buffering from the extremely fine dust wears off-your pH needs to drop to about 7.6 to start dissolving either back into the water (dolomite is also a far poorer bufferer than cc)-most of the bacteria we find in our tanks can take both a fairly sharp rise, as well as a fairly sharp drop, in pH values, with no damage

screw jim! i was breeding c. moorii in '78! :P :P
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
vitz":3fgw00c9 said:
coral and dolomite will not keep your pH at 8.2-once the initial buffering from the extremely fine dust wears off-your pH needs to drop to about 7.6 to start dissolving either back into the water (dolomite is also a far poorer bufferer than cc)-most of the bacteria we find in out tanks can take both a fairly sharp rise, as well as a fairly sharp drop, in pH values, with no damage

screw jim! i was breeding c. moorii in '78! :P :P


:P
I was never patient enough to grow them up. :lol:
One of these days I'm going to have a nice, big, colored up pair though...I'll buy them that way!
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Oh yeah, and to us old timers is H. moorii!! :P

P.S.... Phish, in actual practice Ph matters little to these fish, especially Mbuna. In all the years I've kept and bred them, including wild fish right out of the lake, I've never done a Ph reading...ever. At worst, wild individuals won't spawn.

I add a few teaspoons of salt per 5 gallons when doing water changes, and call it good.

You can breed them in acidic water.

Only Tropheus are finicky in this department, and maybe a few other Tangyanikans. Even Amazonian fish for the most part are not picky about Ph, except Discus...this is even less of a problem with all the captive bred strains now.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
My Fw planted all have ph of 8.4-8.8 with The api test kit. With just a sand or gravel substrate. So I think you will be fine.

I have tested a sand/peat substrate in a guart jar and it did have a ph of 7.0 but after a few weeks even it has risen to 7.6 or so.

And of course those were planted which means the plants are consuming the carbon dioxide which raises the ph.


.02
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
beaslbob":1ivd6pvf said:
My Fw planted all have ph of 8.4-8.8 with The api test kit. With just a sand or gravel substrate. So I think you will be fine.

I have tested a sand/peat substrate in a guart jar and it did have a ph of 7.0 but after a few weeks even it has risen to 7.6 or so.

And of course those were planted which means the plants are consuming the carbon dioxide which raises the ph.


.02

This answers his question how?
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
beaslbob":2ssc5c3j said:
My Fw planted all have ph of 8.4-8.8 with The api test kit. With just a sand or gravel substrate. So I think you will be fine.

I have tested a sand/peat substrate in a guart jar and it did have a ph of 7.0 but after a few weeks even it has risen to 7.6 or so.

And of course those were planted which means the plants are consuming the carbon dioxide which raises the ph.


.02

<pssssssst>

hey- what do plants do at nite? :P :idea: :lol:
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
some plants will actually REDUCE pH, over time, as they uptake carbonates, btw :idea: :P :D
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
vitz":ar5ca5du said:
beaslbob":ar5ca5du said:
My Fw planted all have ph of 8.4-8.8 with The api test kit. With just a sand or gravel substrate. So I think you will be fine.

I have tested a sand/peat substrate in a guart jar and it did have a ph of 7.0 but after a few weeks even it has risen to 7.6 or so.

And of course those were planted which means the plants are consuming the carbon dioxide which raises the ph.


.02

<pssssssst>

hey- what do plants do at nite? :P :idea: :lol:

Water changes?
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
The original question was will the bacteria survive the ph of 8.2+.

My Fw have that pH and the bacteria does fine.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
beaslbob":2a4mjfxd said:
The original question was will the bacteria survive the ph of 8.2+.

My Fw have that pH and the bacteria does fine.

No, I mean tell us all about plants!
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
beaslbob":1qmr1w85 said:
The original question was will the bacteria survive the ph of 8.2+.

My Fw have that pH and the bacteria does fine.

er- no, it wasn't...

I have no idea if the bacteria would survive the pH jump once I replaced the gravel with rushed coral or dolomite.

please read other's posts carefully and thoroughly before replying with completely irrelevant answers that are also patently incorrect to begin with

<psssssst> what do plants do at nite ?
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
vitz":2aip8ian said:
beaslbob":2aip8ian said:
I have no idea if the bacteria would survive the pH jump once I replaced the gravel with rushed coral or dolomite.

please read other's posts carefully and thoroughly before replying with completely irrelevant answers that are also patently incorrect to begin with
The bacteria survived the ph jump as the tanks cycled also. Sorry that was not obvious. Which also occurred in 24 hours after adding the plants.
<psssssst> what do plants do at nite ?

They consume oxygen and give out carbon dioxide.


So that in a 24 hour period the tank becomes a net consumer of carbon dioxide and producer of oxygen. Even with a heavy fish load. Which is why the lowest ph with plants is still higher then the highest without plants in tanks I have measured.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
beaslbob":2gem3pow said:
vitz":2gem3pow said:
beaslbob":2gem3pow said:
I have no idea if the bacteria would survive the pH jump once I replaced the gravel with rushed coral or dolomite.

please read other's posts carefully and thoroughly before replying with completely irrelevant answers that are also patently incorrect to begin with
The bacteria survived the ph jump as the tanks cycled also. Sorry that was not obvious. Which also occurred in 24 hours after adding the plants.
<psssssst> what do plants do at nite ?

They consume oxygen and give out carbon dioxide.


So that in a 24 hour period the tank becomes a net consumer of carbon dioxide and producer of oxygen. Even with a heavy fish load. Which is why the lowest ph with plants is still higher then the highest without plants in tanks I have measured.

ok, i'll bite, as usual :P ...

please explain how, if plants reverse their O2/CO2 cycle every nite, how a heavily loaded fish tank will be a net consumer of CO2

you do realize that the whole 'leiden' concept you tout in your sig assumes a very high plant to animal biomass ratio, yes?

<pssssst> how does carbonate uptake via plants affect alkalinity, and pH, and how does that tie in with the O2/CO2 cycle during the day, and at nite ?

what about urea, and other organics that plants do not process that are water acidifiers ?

(assume a non heavy plant load, a heavy fish load,and no dosing of CO2 during the day- which is typical of most hobbyists tanks)
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
vitz":35us0r1k said:
beaslbob":35us0r1k said:
vitz":35us0r1k said:
beaslbob":35us0r1k said:
I have no idea if the bacteria would survive the pH jump once I replaced the gravel with rushed coral or dolomite.

please read other's posts carefully and thoroughly before replying with completely irrelevant answers that are also patently incorrect to begin with
The bacteria survived the ph jump as the tanks cycled also. Sorry that was not obvious. Which also occurred in 24 hours after adding the plants.
<psssssst> what do plants do at nite ?

They consume oxygen and give out carbon dioxide.


So that in a 24 hour period the tank becomes a net consumer of carbon dioxide and producer of oxygen. Even with a heavy fish load. Which is why the lowest ph with plants is still higher then the highest without plants in tanks I have measured.

ok, i'll bite, as usual :P ...

please explain how, if plants reverse their O2/CO2 cycle every nite, how a heavily loaded fish tank will be a net consumer of CO2
see bolded
you do realize that the whole 'leiden' concept you tout in your sig assumes a very high plant to animal biomass ratio, yes?
if you say so. looks normal to me though
<pssssst> how does carbonate uptake via plants affect alkalinity, and pH, and how does that tie in with the O2/CO2 cycle during the day, and at nite ?
the plants consume co2 which then raises both ph and kh.
what about urea, and other organics that plants do not process that are water acidifiers ?
they are reduced to ammonia, nitrites and nitrates which are then consumed by the plants. If something goes bump in the night and ammonia spikes the plants then consume the extra ammonia directly preventing the dangerous parameter spikes which can crash the system
(assume a non heavy plant load, a heavy fish load,and no dosing of CO2 during the day- which is typical of most hobbyists tanks)
I assume it works for 20-30 fish in a 10g tank for 6 years. But that's just my experience. :P
 

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